If Tiger Woods wants to win a golf major this year, his last chance comes Aug. 7. That's when the 96th PGA Championship begins at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

Rory McIlroy, winner of the British Open, will be among the contenders. So will Masters champ Bubba Watson and U.S. Open winner Martin Kaymer. Jason Dufner is defending champion, rolling to victory at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

Field: It will be set July 28, with qualifiers from the tournament's points list and special invitations. In all, 156 players will take part. Here's a preliminary list. The field include past PGA champions, winners of the past five Masters, U.S. Opens and British Opens; and the 2014 Senior PGA winner.

When: 72 holes of play beginning Aug. 7 and ending on Aug. 10. Field will be reduced to top 70 plus ties after 36 holes. Practice rounds are planned Aug. 4 and 6.

Where: Valhalla opened in 1986, designed by Jack Nicklaus. The PGA of America purchased the course in 2000. The PGA Championship was played there in 1996 and 2000. The front nine is a low-lying area of open meadow and flood plain. The back nine is higher in elevation, more wooded and park-like in appearance.

Renovations in 2011-12 improved the course but left it a challenge for the game's best professionals. Click here for a course tour. Located east of Louisville, Valhalla is near the intersection of I-64 and I-265 at 15503 Shelbyville Road. The course covers 7,458 yards of play at par 71.

At stake: The Wanamaker Trophy, a 27-pound, 28-inch-tall silver creation commissioned in 1916.

Did you know: The tournament was match play until 1958. The 1924 tournament was played at French Lick, Ind. The 1952 PGA was played at Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, and won by Jim Turnesa. Mark Brooks won in 1996. Woods' 2000 victory gave him consecutive titles. the only back-to-back winner since then? Woods, in 2006 and '07.

Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer both made 37 PGA appearances. Nicklaus played 128 rounds, Palmer 121. Nicklaus is tied with Walter Hagan with five PGA titles. Hagan's were all match play.

Tiger Woods has won four times. Rory McIlroy's eight-stroke margin of victory in 2012 is the largest in stroke play. David Toms finished at 265, 15 under par, in 2001 for the tournament's best score over 72 holes. Woods was 18 under in his 2000 victory. Jason Dufner's round of 63 last year is among 12 at that tournament-best total.

Julius Boros won in 1968 at age 48, the oldest PGA champion. Gene Sarazen won in 1922 at age 20 and again in 1923. Tom Creavy won in 1931, less than two months older than Sarazen's record.

No tournament was played in 1917 and '18 because of World War I, or in 1943 in the midst of World War II.

Anniversary: Bobby Nichols won the 1964 PGA championship. He is from Louisville.